A Labour MP told The Sun: “Whipping against the Single Market has come as a massive shock to thousands of Jeremy’s fans – who can’t understand why he’s not supporting the hopes of young people in particular.

“To make matters worse he’s gone for the old-fashioned conventional tactic of sacking those with different views and crushing dissent – trashing his own legacy of supposedly principled rebellion.”

Another MP mocked Mr Corbyn for his record of breaking the whip during his three decades as a rebellious backbencher.

Deputy leader Tom Watson hit out at Labour rebels who defied the whip over Brexit

They said: “If there is one thing I have learnt from Jeremy it is to do what is right, even if that means voting against the whip.”

But in a sign that the party has failed to heal the wounds from two years of civil war, deputy leader Tom Watson said: “To break away like that is politically unhelpful at a time when the entire Labour Party is buzzing because we did far better in the general election.”

Andy Slaughter, one of the MPs sacked by Mr Corbyn, struck a more conciliatory tone, saying: “I voted against the whip and was sacked, which was entirely appropriate. That’s the norm.”

Meanwhile it emerged that Mr Corbyn and his hard-left allies are plotting to tighten their grip on Labour by pushing through key changes to the party’s rulebook.

They plan to table motions to be voted on at the party’s autumn conference that will increase their representation on the ruling National Executive Committee and a change in the leadership election rules that would guarantee a left-wing candidate in every contest.

Another rule change being discussed would make it easier to challenge and deselect sitting Labour MPs.

Yesterday it was revealed that local members of the hard-left Momentum group in Bristol have already started efforts to deselect Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire.

The Bristol West MP survived cancer during the last parliament and then went on to win the fourth biggest majority of all MPs in the country at this month’s election.

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